The comic artwork of Ryan Claytor.

In May I’ll be exhibiting at a convention in Fort Wayne, IN. Last year they changed their name from Summit City Con to Appleseed ComicCon. I didn’t exhibit there last year, as I was busy getting ready for our wedding, but I’ve set-up there in the past and as far as I can tell it is being run by the same folks and held in the same place. It was a great convention to begin with and I’m excited to return to see if there are any other changes besides their name. Here’s some information to get you there:

Having our keynote speaker illustrate the event poster is something I’ve wanted to make happen ever since taking the reigns as the MSU Comics Forum Director in 2009. Many thanks to Nick Bertozzi for being the first!

Feel free to repost this image to help us promote the many events surrounding this year’s MSU Comics Forum. If you are a business owner or manager and would like to receive a few posters to hang in your place of business, please contact me at [rclaytor (at-sign) msu (dot) edu] by Jan. 25th, 2013 to be added to our mailing list.

RYAN: So, Justin, it’s the new year. Happy 2013, my man. Congratulations on another successful year of blogging. It seems like Image and Brian Wood kinda’ dominated your pull-list this past year. Do you have any forecasts of things to watch out for? What are you excited to pick up in 2013?

JUSTIN: Happy New Year, Ryan! Yeah, Brian Wood and Image Comics were certainly touchstones, but I’d say Creator-Owned Comics in general was the overarching “theme” that dominated my thinking this year. As you may recall, about halfway through the year I swore off Marvel & DC Comics that were not creator-owned. This was due in part to feeling that a glass ceiling had been reached with their, ahem, “intellectual property catalogues” (to quote the corporate speak of DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson) and they’d reached a state of creative bankruptcy with initiatives like The New 52 or the Marvel Now! rehash. I can’t say I miss anything Marvel or DC; perhaps just Batwoman because of the insane JH Williams III eye-candy, but I’m also lucky to be in the luxurious position that if I want to check in on a mainstream title, my retail sponsor will just comp me on it. In short, I’m making a more deliberate effort to consciously vote with my wallet and support specific creators and their personal projects.

That said, I think Image Comics kicked off some sort of Creator-Owned Comics Renaissance with the Experience Creativity Campaign in 2012. There’s so much good stuff out there, from Brandon Graham’s work on Prophet and Multiple Warheads, to Danger Club by Landry Walker & Eric Jones, to smaller books like Clone by David Schulner & Juan Jose Ryp. And it’s not just Image either, I love Wasteland by Antony Johnston & Russel Roehling over at Oni Press, Godzilla: Half Century War by James Stokoe over at IDW, and Dark Horse material like Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt, or The Massive by Brian Wood and Garry Brown. Even DC’s creator-owned wing at Vertigo can still churn up gems; for example, I really enjoyed Punk Rock Jesus by Sean Murphy. I can’t point to one specific project off the top of my head, but my interest for 2013 is squarely at this mid-tier publisher level, and I’m watching out for “the next big thing” from indie powerhouses like Image, IDW, Oni, and Dark Horse.

As for Brian Wood specifically, you know that he’s a creator I have a unique relationship with, having collaborated on projects like LIVE FROM THE DMZ, written introductions to collected editions, and contributed back-matter to some of his books, not to mention chronicling his career as an unofficial Brian Wood historian. He’s been the one exception to the Marvel/DC No-Fly Rule, and I’ve kept current on his work-for-hire projects, including Ultimate Comics: X-Men, the adjectiveless X-Men, or Conan The Barbarian. I’m super excited for his new crop of titles in 2013, including a Star Wars, re-launch, the Mara mini-series with Ming Doyle at Image, a semi-secret project known only as Anthem, and whatever else he has in the pipe. With Disney having acquired LucasFilm, it will also be interesting to see how long Dark Horse holds the Star Wars license and how that might impact the comics.

RYAN: Yah, I’d be interested to talk more about how your creator-owned purchasing experiment is treating you. Do you find yourself wanting any books that you’ve sworn off? Is getting them comp’d to you cheating in a way? I know you’re not personally purchasing them, but the retailer is. So, just to play devil’s advocate, essentially what you’re doing is staging a boycott on Marvel and DC “intellectual property catalogues.” However, if the retailer is still purchasing them, and figures they’ll comp you an issue here and there, your retailer will still be supporting the organizations you’re trying to avoid. What are your feelings about that?

JUSTIN: It’s something I’ve thought about, so I’m very particular in the way I go about it. I understand the spirit of your question, so this may sound like a technicality, but it’s reality. The way the direct market works, retailers are putting their final orders into the distributor long before I make a decision to pop in and try a random issue from Marvel or DC (which honestly isn’t that often, by the way). My retailer doesn’t order a copy of, say, Batwoman, specifically for me, because I haven’t completed a Diamond Previews Order Form. If he has extras lying around, I may take one, but I don’t take every issue in a repetitive way so that he’d increase the order in anticipation. Honestly, my guy is going to order his 500 copies of Uncanny Avengers or whatever (gotta’ chase that 1/500 variant!) regardless of me deciding to buy one. For the creator-owned titles I do want to support, I specifically complete Previews Order Forms so that I know my purchase of Prophet or Think Tank is being calculated. The retailer is actually the true customer the way the direct market is currently set up. In my mind, it doesn’t really matter what end consumers are buying, nobody is tracking those sales; it only matters what the retailer is ordering, that’s what industry metrics are based on, so that’s where I try to make my “vote” count.

As for missing anything, no, I really don’t. I keep citing Batwoman as the lone example of anything choice in the entire New 52 debacle, but I’ve missed issues and it doesn’t bother me. I mean, hey, I’ll read anything and just enjoy the idea of “COMICS!” if it’s put in front of me, Batman, Captain America, Thor, but I don’t miss them. I don’t like them enough to support them financially like I would a fledgling creator owned title. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. I’m fiercely proud of what I do buy. My friends and coworkers tease me because I’ll scoff at what they pick up. “Aquaman? Deadpool? Really?C’mon!” It’s all in good fun, I’m glad they’re buying any comics at all, but I definitely try to make recommendations and strongly encourage creator-owned books they’d enjoy instead.

RYAN: Leaving behind the conversation about creator-owned purchasing habits, you mentioned your retailer sponsor. That might be something interesting for up-and-coming reviewers and bloggers to hear about. Can you talk to us about initiating this relationship and what it’s grown into today?

JUSTIN: I asked. That’s it. Honestly. Sometimes I feel like just being direct is a lost art. I literally walked into a new shop for the first time, introduced myself, handed the guy a business card, and asked if he’d be interested in some type of reciprocal relationship. In exchange for x discount or x titles monthly on average, I could provide a weekly plug on a site that gets x hits. He said yes. On top of that, I know I’ve added at least 4 other regular weekly pull customers to his base, and he’s indicated that he’s seen a discernible uptick in the sales of at least 2 different books since my reviewing them and plugging his store in the same post has begun. So the lesson is don’t be shy, just ask! It’s advice I’ve given to a couple fellow bloggers. You can arrange relationships with retailers, publishers, or directly with creators, for discounts, review copies, advance copies, interviews, etc. In most cases, I’ve found that the people on the other end are thankful to have the additional press.

RYAN: Man, that’s something I tell my students all the time. In my university comics courses, I assign a comic creator biography presentation. There are plenty of resources out there, but I highly encourage them to contact their chosen creator directly. I mean, when are you going to have a better excuse to talk to one of your heroes, ask them some questions you’ve always wanted to know, and possibly develop a working relationship with them? “Hey, Creator A, I’m in a university-level comics class and I have an assignment to do a presentation about any comic creator I choose. I’m a big admirer of your work and I’d like to ask you a few questions about your approach/process/etc.” As a creator, that’s pretty flattering. But you’d be surprised at how seldom they follow-up on that golden opportunity to network with a known artist. I’m not sure if it’s nerves or what? Maybe in the future I’ll make it a requirement to show me proof that the student at least attempted to send their artist an email, Facebook message, a DM on Twitter, or something! Seriously, everyone is so darned accessible these days. As you mentioned, all you have to do is ask.

JUSTIN: Yeah, I’m honestly surprised that more of your students don’t send me their work for review purposes either, which is something I know you offer. I think it’s just what you said, a mix of nerves and fear of the unknown, and just the general hesitation of youth. We sound like old men discussing lost opportunity, but it’s the “if I knew then what I know now” dynamic. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Somebody says “no”? I’ve never had it happen when dealing with comp copies. Actually the opposite, I’m struggling to keep up with the amount of unsolicited stuff that does come in for review.

RYAN: You also do a ton of reviews for small press and mini comics. In fact, I’d like to highlight the fact that you commit to a review of ANY COMIC sent to you. That is NOT something that generally happens, so on behalf of the small press community, I’d like to thank you for this commitment. With that said, are you keeping an eye on any new creators for the coming year?

Two publishers in particular that snuck up on me out of nowhere and have my attention are Fanboy Comics up in LA and Kus! Comics in Latvia. Fanboy Comics produced a couple recent titles like Identity Thief and Something Animal, which really mine and modernize the horror genre, something I’ve not been very interested in previously, with a very dark painterly aesthetic, in the vein of Bill Sinkiewicz, or modern guys with a studio presence like Kent Williams, Ashley Wood, or Jason Shawn Alexander. Kus! Comics in Latvia produces a regular series of one-shot mini-comics from a strong mix of established and up-and-coming creators, in addition to their house anthology (the last one was Guest Edited by Annie Koyama of Koyama Press), which exposed me to a stellar roster of international talent, and Kus! even began garnering awards at Angouleme.

RYAN: What about Thirteen Minutes? You’ve kept up a pretty consistent review schedule and even garnered another nomination for “Best Comics Website” in the Paradoscars. Do you have any plans to change the way business runs around your neck of the woods (maybe new columns, reviewers, schedules, web design, etc)?

JUSTIN: Thanks for asking about Thirteen Minutes and mentioning the award from the Paradox Comics Group! You know, my little review blog started in 2005 and I’ve started making it more publicly known that I always planned on going at least 10 years. That decade deadline is looming and will be up in November of 2015. Now that I can see the finish line, I’m not prepared to say that Thirteen Minutes will stop, but it will certainly change significantly. I no longer get much joy out of trudging down to the LCS every week and scrambling to post timely capsule reviews. What I envision is probably fewer reviews, but more in-depth individual pieces. I’d like to focus on longer form reviews of original graphic novels and collected editions, advance reviews of single issues that I’m passionate about, like I’ve been doing for The Massive, and special features like Shotgun Blurbs (formerly “Creator Owned Spotlight”), which I co-write with fellow blogger Keith Silva.

I also hope that my volume of freelance work-for-hire gigs continues to increase, stuff like writing introductions to collected editions, or contributing back-matter content. It’s weird, I started writing mini-comics in 2002 on the creative side and was involved with small press publisher Hidden Agenda Press, I then slipped into reviewing for 10 years, and now I’m slipping back toward the creative side. At the moment, I have another freelance project being kicked around, but it hasn’t been announced yet, so I’ll be a big tease and leave it at that! But, by 2015 I’d love to be blurring that line even further. I hope to be co-writing a book or even acting in some kind of editorial capacity, yet still contributing reviews on occasion, whether at an evolved Thirteen Minutes, as a guest contributor elsewhere, or even a wholly new venture with likeminded individuals. At my day job, I’m so thoroughly a planner who’s in control, but with comics I’ve learned to just sort of sail where the wind takes me.

RYAN: From one planner to another, I can certainly sympathize. Well, I’ll be on the lookout for those longer reviews, but you mentioned “slipping back toward the creative side” recently. Can you tell our readers what creative projects you’ve been involved with recently, and maybe even hint a bit more about what exactly you’d like to accomplish in this new direction? You mentioned editorial and co-writing; what would you like to bring to each of those creative avenues?

JUSTIN: Most recently, I contributed some back-matter (ie: “bonus story content” for the uninitiated) to a series called The Massive by Brian Wood and Garry Brown, published by Dark Horse Comics, specifically issues 5 and 6. I loved it. I loved getting a chance to flex the creative muscles and help the creative team do a little world-building. Prior to that, I wrote a 1,500 word introduction to the final collected edition of the series in DMZ Volume 12: The Five Nations of New York, by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli, published by DC/Vertigo.

In terms of what I hope to accomplish, gosh, you can really dream big from the fantastical to the more realistic. Starting with the fun one first, purely speculating, I think it’d be amazing to be involved in some capacity if a network like HBO or AMC ever decided to make a serialized show in the style of The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones adapted from comics like Scalped, or DMZ, or anything I know the source material well. In my dreams, I’d love to be some type of consultant or even host a TV show like Chris Hardwick does on Talking Dead. I already have the Live From The DMZ name out in the universe, which has a nice TV ring to it.

Getting a little more realistic in terms of comics criticism, with my business background and love of comics, I feel like I speak both “mainstream” and “geek,” so I could envision myself moving into more mainstream press and bridging that gap at outlets like Entertainment Weekly or MTV Geek, which I’ve had a couple false starts with. After my self-imposed 10 year deadline at Thirteen Minutes in 2015, I’m sure I’ll have an accurate read if this is ever going to be feasible or not. It’s all basically been a test.

On the creative or editorial side, man, this will sound like shameless self-promotion, but I feel like I’m ready to be co-writing or helping to craft a regular monthly series. For lack of a better descriptor, I think I have a very “pickable” brain when you couple my business background, work experience, comics critiquing, and general industry knowledge. I’d like to think that I know what works and what doesn’t, what’s interesting and what’s not, what’s been done and what’s not been done. I have a firm grasp on the mechanics of making comics and think I have some well-rounded creative approaches in me as an “idea man.”

RYAN: Okay, now here is where it gets interesting to me. You talk about an interest in “co-writing” and being an “idea man,” but I never heard you say that you’d like to be a WRITER! Why wouldn’t you want to try your hand at a monthly series in a solo writing capacity?

JUSTIN: In all candor, I just don’t know that I have a monthly series in me, yet. It’s hard to be an endless storytelling engine; I don’t know how some of these guys keep the pace. Being totally self-aware about my skills, co-writing or consulting in some way sounds like a nice way to ease into the process. For example, if someone hands me a story outline, a master plan, I’m good at filling in the blanks and sorting out the dialogue and scenes that need to happen to get from point A to point B in a very tactical sense. On the flip side, I can also think strategically, be that “idea man” developing larger story threads and a laundry list of factoids, or beats to hit, for someone else to go execute and write to. But owning the endeavor from top to bottom, both sides of the equation, and being on the hook for output in a month to month grind is a big leap. When I’ve been exposed to the inner workings of the industry by writers I know, well, the amount of work and moving parts is staggering. It’s a minor miracle any books ship monthly.

RYAN: I can see how a monthly schedule would be daunting to maintain, especially working a full-time gig outside of comics, but have you ever considered getting started with a one-shot or mini-series? You know, something more manageable?

JUSTIN: Yeah, that’s something I can see doing. As you know, I will occasionally crank out a script for a one-shot type of project that could probably be done as either a mini-comic or a more mainstream one-shot comic. I’ve been encouraged by a couple of creator friends to pitch some of my ideas to places like Image Comics or Archaia, but as a writer who doesn’t have any artistic skill beyond thumb-nailing, the trick is always finding an artist to work with and presenting a somewhat finalized project.

RYAN: Well, you know I’ve got a few projects on my plate, so I won’t jump in the volunteer pool quite yet. In the meantime, DigitalWebbing.com has an online talent section with comic writers looking for artists, pencilers looking for inkers, and all kinds of creative combos. Essentially it’s an online classified listing for talent searching talent. Maybe you could make some artist connections over there.

JUSTIN: It’s a site I’m aware of, but it’s been a long time since I poked around. Good tip for our readers!

RYAN: Alright, Justin, I wish you luck with your creative projects in 2013. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us, and thanks for your commitment to our yearly collaboration!

Last week we announced a couple of interviews we’ll be posting here on ElephantEater.com. Next week I’ll be interviewing my buddy, Comics Reviewer, Justin Giampaoli of Thirteen Minutes Comic Reviews about his experiences in comics over the past year and what we can look forward to in 2013. This week, Justin is doing the same for me.

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JUSTIN: Give us an update on the state of Elephant Eater Comics? Where are you at with And Then One Day?

RYAN: Well, last year my artistic focus was set squarely on our wedding, which involved creating illustrations for Save the Date cards, a website, invitations, groomsmen’s gifts, brochures, napkins, thank you cards, and even a full-color comic book. Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of time for a new issue of And Then One Day, but I’m really proud of what Candace and I accomplished when organizing our big day. As a result of all our hard work, we were able to have a really personal and memorable wedding.

Currently, I’m in the process of duotoning my next book, Autobiographical Conversations, which is a compilation of my last three mini-comics, And Then One Day #7, 8, and 9. This narrative arc was always intended to be read as a single whole, so I’m excited to release it in this updated and consolidated version. Here’s a sample duotoned page compared with a page from the original mini-comic:

Regarding the future of And Then One Day, my artistic interest these days has been primarily on longer-length stories. I see And Then One Day as my way to not fall out of the public eye, a place to serialize these longer narratives prior to their collection, and stay current while working on more time-consuming projects.

JUSTIN: Let me just say that I resisted the temptation to formally review your wedding comic Better Together in order to keep your better half out of the harsh stinging glare of online comics criticism (hi Candace!) when it was intended as a more personal project, but I thought it was terrific purely as a piece of art. It’s certainly the most unique wedding favor I’ve ever witnessed and I thought you hit some sort of zenith with the intimacy of autobiography. It was an easy Grade A to award, but when you add in the aspect of full color, something I know you’ve been pushing yourself on, let’s call it a Grade A+.

As for the collected edition of Autobiographical Conversations, is the plan to make that your offering at SDCC this year?

Ryan: First of all, thanks a bunch for your kind words about our wedding comic. While that work isn’t something I’m actively marketing as part of my body of work, I truly respect your critical opinion and appreciate the thoughtful feedback.

With regard to Autobiographical Conversations, yes, that will be the new book I release in 2013. I’ll be working on other projects after that, but they won’t be ready for San Diego this July. I’ve tossed around ideas of really trying to push myself and possibly come out with a couple of books for Comic-Con International, but…well…life has been unexpectedly busy lately. I find myself wanting to focus on personal time more and not just be a comics work horse.

JUSTIN: Ok, the investigator in me has Spider-Sense tingling… is there something you’re not telling us, Ryan?

Ryan: Well, since you INSIST! Candace and I are PREGNANT!!! WOO-HOO!!! Currently we’re about four months along and we should find out the sex next week. So, yah, we’re pretty excited. We’ve been keeping busy going to doctors’ appointments, registry shopping, and converting a room of our house into something a little more suited for our little one.

JUSTIN: Congratulations! That is very big news that definitely trumps all of our comic book ramblings; I’m so happy for you! Now I know this is a touchy subject, but if I may be so bold. “Jack Kirby Claytor” has a nice ring to it, as does “Groo The Claytor.” If you have a baby girl and wanted to stick with a family name, I’d go with “Donna Troy Claytor.” There’s also “Topper ‘Whirlwind’ Claytor,” which is admittedly a bit more adventurous, but has the added advantage of working unisex.

Ok, let’s get serious. You also have a biographical project in the works, is that something you’re ready to discuss?

Ryan: Sure. I’ve mentioned it in passing at various speaking engagements, and I think long ago in one of my books, but my next longer project I’d like to tackle will be a comic biography about my dad growing up in very rural Arizona. He had experiences in his youth that very few of us can relate to, like growing up in a railroad box car, living on dirt floors, evading angry movie theatre managers and a bunch of other hijinks that I really don’t want to spoil. I’ve heard these stories throughout my youth and sat down to record some interviews with him back in 2005. Recently, I converted all my cassette tape interviews over to mp3 files in an effort to preserve them. At the moment, I’m slowly transcribing those interviews so that I can mold this next epic into something palatable. Right now, the plan is to initially serialize these biographical stories in issues of And Then One Day, and ultimately republish them as a collected whole whenever the project is finished.

JUSTIN: That sounds amazing! Certainly a ton of work involved for a major undertaking like this, but I can’t wait to see the results. I’m interested in the transition from autobiography to biography; it seems like something I’m seeing repeatedly in the world of indie comics. For example, we enjoy the work of Noah Van Sciver who was known for his autobiographical work like Blammo! and Complaints, but he’s moved into historical biography with The Death of Elijah Lovejoy published by 2D Cloud, and the recent Fantagraphics offering The Hypo concerning pre-Presidential Abe Lincoln. As my go-to authority on the continuum of truth and fiction in comics, do you see this transition from autobio to bio as a natural progression for creators?

Ryan: I’m not sure I can speak for other creators, but I definitely feel a kinship with non-fiction work, whether that’s a work I’m creating or reading, my tastes tend toward the non-fictive. So, in terms of non-fiction, I feel like autobiography and biography are not all that different. Although, for me, I supposed the line between autobiography and biography is a little more blurred because my biographical subject happens to be my dad. There will scenes with both my dad and me in conversation with one another. Is that autobiography or biography at that point? In truth, these hard-and-fast distinctions probably don’t matter all that much in the long run. Like everything else in life, it’s probably more of a continuum.

JUSTIN: With one of your feet squarely in academia, what’s new on the teaching front and the various events you put on in that capacity?

Ryan: Well, I teach a couple of foundation comics classes at Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Michigan Flint (UMF), which I’ve been doing for the past four years and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. This semester will see the first Advanced Topics course I’ve taught in comics. Instead of building fundamental skills in comics creation and producing several short stories, the class will focus on creating a longer-length, self-contained, narrative over the course of the semester with some more sophisticated learning outcomes. This is the first time I’ve been granted an advanced course, so I’m anxious to move forward with the curriculum I’ve developed and see how the students and I can build on it.

I’m also the director of the Michigan State University Comics Forum, a yearly event for scholars, creators, and fans of the comics medium, and recently announced the keynote speaker for our 2013 show. We’re really proud to feature award-winning comics writer, illustrator, and educator, Nick Bertozzi. If you’re not familiar with his work, there’s a laundry list of his publications and credentials at the Comics Forum link above. He even illustrated and designed our event poster, the first time our featured artist is creating our event’s poster. So things are shaping up quite nicely. The event will take place March 1st and 2nd on the campus of MSU in East Lansing, MI.

JUSTIN: Wow. Nick Bertozzi. That’s a fantastic “get,” congratulations! It seems like the MSU Comics Forum is bigger and better every year, it’s great to see that momentum continuing and comics generally being more embraced at the collegiate level.

Ryan: I agree. But I’m sure you are aware that you’re preaching to the choir on this line of thinking. Ha-ha!

JUSTIN: I’m curious about your experiences on the con circuit. You’ve maintained a healthy presence at some of the smaller Midwest shows for a couple years. How does that compare to the behemoth that is SDCC?

Ryan: Well, I’ve had the good fortune of exhibiting at a number of different conventions around North America. Comic-Con International in San Diego is definitely a yearly staple of mine, but I haven’t been to a convention on this continent that is comparable to it. Each event has its own flavor and focus. Not surprisingly, because of my interest in alternative comics, the small press shows are most interesting to me. I’m talking about conventions like the Alternative Press Expo (APE) in San Francisco, CA, Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, OR, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) Festival in New York, NY, and the Toronto Comic Art Festival (TCAF) in Ontario, Canada. Here in the Midwest, I found a similar event in the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) in Columbus, OH. This is about a four hour drive from my home in Lansing, MI and well worth the trip. The show boasts names like John Porcellino, Nate Powell, and Carol Tyler, in addition to a lot of up-and-comers. It’s the convention I’ll direct my students toward if they’re considering exhibiting their work after completing my comics class. It’s best suited for them because it’s a well established show (2013 will be their 13th year) and the attendees come looking specifically for small press comics, not your traditional capes and tights.

JUSTIN: As for reading habits, when you dip your toe into more mainstream waters, what’s noteworthy? We briefly discussed Multiple Warheads a couple weeks ago [privately], what else have you been reading?

Ryan: This is sort of a funny and subjective question. When most people think of mainstream, they probably think of Marvel and DC. Although, I’m guessing for you and me, we’re probably thinking about comics that weren’t folded and stapled by the artists themselves. Ha-ha! Multiple Warheads is laughably a mainstream title, although by our standards, it might actually qualify.

Let’s see, though. My reading has definitely been tapering off lately, so I feel a little uninformed when talking about this subject over the past year, however I do still pick-up Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising when I see it. I don’t think it’s as tightly constructed in its storytelling as Echo was, but I’m still enjoying the ride. I rely on you for suggestions of “can’t miss” titles, like Brian Wood’s The Massive and Brandon Graham’s Multiple Warheads.

Several of my favorite artists also came out with work this year. Sergio Aragones released this big, beautiful “Artist Edition” of a Groo 4-issue mini-series. If our readers aren’t familiar with IDW’s Artist Editions, basically they take the original art pages, scan them in full-color and print them at original size so that you can see all the non-photo-reproductive blue pencils, perspective lines and margin notes the artist makes for corrections, spot blacks, and typos. It’s probably the closest I’ll ever come to owning a piece of Sergio Aragones original artwork. So that was definitely a treasure I picked up this past year.

JUSTIN: I remember you sporting this monster around SDCC last summer, and it’s gorgeous. I also think it’s worth briefly pointing out that these IDW “Artist Editions” are the brainchild of Editor Scott Dunbier, who previously developed a whole host of innovative formats, including the oversized, hardcover, slipcase “Absolute Editions” at DC.

Ryan: Yah, they are quite amazing. Not a light pricetag, but perfect for the superfan or artist who wants a peak behind the curtain at the comics process. I fell into both catagories with the Sergio Aragones edition, so that was my big purchase in San Diego this past year. Thankfully there are enough like-minded readers in our hobby that make it viable for IDW to produce a series like this.

Anyhow, back to the reading list; Chris Ware collected his long-running comic, Building Stories, into an innovative boxed-set of comics, mini-comics, broadsheets, board games and newspapers. Say what you will about his one-note, sad sack protagonists, but the work is a tour de force of book design and print production. It delivers an aesthetic response that would be impossible to replicate any other way and serves as yet another shining example of why print is not dead. Leaving aside the format, I actually thought this set of characters were probably the most relatable I’ve seen coming from Ware. Sure, they all face their challenges and personal demons, but they’re probably the most well-rounded Ware characters to date.

Finally, there’s a work I can’t comment on very much, but I can’t wait to read. Seth’s Palookaville #21 has been scheduled for release throughout the latter portion of 2012 with several revised release dates. I’ve had it on pre-order for the past few months, but after repeated publication delays I still don’t have my copy. [Update: Today’s amazon.com Palookaville #21 page now lists another new release date, this time a six month setback to June of 2013.] Once published, the book will conclude Seth’s Clyde Fans storyline, which he has been serialized in the pages of Palookaville since 1997. As of Palookaville #20 (late 2010), Seth has altered the series format from a 32-page pamphlet to an 88-page hardback book with supplementary content on his art exhibits, sketchbook pages, and autobiographical comics. I know when it gets here it will hold another proud spot on my bookshelf, but until then the anticipation is killing me. Ha-ha!

JUSTIN: Well, from teaching, to creating, to tabling, to growing the family, it sounds like you’ve had another really busy and rewarding year. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to keep our holiday collaboration streak alive and kicking, and to keep our readers informed! Here’s to 5 more years!

I can’t believe how time flies. This will be the 5th year in a row that Ryan and I have done some form of writing collaboration and posted the results during the hectic holiday season. In 2008, we discussed form and function, in 2009 it was the role of the creator and the critic, and in 2010 we collaborated on a spirited list of selections for holiday gift-giving. Perhaps our greatest joint achievement to date was the 2011 list of The 10 Best Colorists working in the industry today. This list featured analysis and interviews with a plethora of talent, from Kristian Donaldson and Tom Luth, to Laura Martin and Dean White. The list ended up taking on a life of its own, growing in scope, complexity, and coverage during the course of the project. It stands as something we’re very proud of.

This year, Ryan and I decided to take a more leisurely approach to our annual collaboration tradition for a variety of reasons and simply chat about our respective experiences in comics during 2012. We interviewed each other and will be posting the results of the interviews over a two week period. Starting next Tuesday January 8th, we’ll post the first interview, “Justin Interviews Ryan,” here at ElephantEater.com and let that run for a week. One week later, on Tuesday, January 15th, we’ll post the second half of our collaboration, “Ryan Interviews Justin,” also here at ElephantEater.Com and let that play for the following week. As always, we encourage your feedback and would be interested to hear any suggestions our readers may have for future collaborations you’d like to see us feature.